Owens said Hamilton’s interest still registers.
“We can’t do two full campuses,” Owens said. “We may have to pick and choose how we’re going to grow.”
Owens sat down last week with our editorial board to discuss the future of Cincinnati State.
Cincinnati State’s attraction to Butler County comes from its economic development potential and its chambers of commerce with outstretched arms, Owens said.
“It’s that industrial corridor,” he said. “That’s what we’re about. Putting people to work and being nimble enough to respond to the needs of industry.”
Cincinnati State’s enrollment was about 11,000 students last winter quarter. Owens said they hope to enroll between 200 and 400 once the branch campus in Middletown opens. The target date is September 2012.
Q: Why expand in Butler County where Cincinnati State has no presence?
A: "We're not really going into a real jungle because 15 or 18 percent of our students already come from this area. We know who they are and more are coming from Hamilton than Middletown, to be honest.
“(An outside study) shows even though our main campus is predominantly women, we weren’t drawing that same proportion of women from Middletown, for whatever reason, whether it’s a child care issue or they don’t want to drive the 30 miles to the main campus.
“We see that as a real opportunity. For every one student that was willing to drive from Middletown or Hamilton, two probably didn’t want to come.”
Q: What are your plans in Middletown?
A:
“We know we’re going to do the CG&E building. The first year, on paper, we’re looking at 200 (students). But I really think we can double that. My goal is to make Middletown a campus of 3,000 students in five years. I know that’s ambitious, but it can be done. In terms of a time line, we’re hoping for September 2012. When we sign the deal, we’ll really have a presence.
“We’re going to be on the billboards, we’re going to be on the buses. Middletown will give us an office in their administrative building. And we will start recruiting students.”
Q: The city of Middletown has offered five buildings for your use. You're now looking at two — the former CG&E building and the former senior center — for immediate use. What more can the city do?
A: "Once we secure the buildings, what we would need from the city is their cooperation in working with the business community and the foundations to help us raise the money to open the buildings, furnish the buildings and start teaching."
Q: Is a partnership possible with Middletown City Schools, Miami University Middletown and Butler Tech?
A: Absolutely. I had a conversation in the fall with the high school seeing if we could use their classrooms. That would be an option. We would go to Miami and look at some of the places they're having classes. And that may be one of the reasons we make that September 2012 soft date, by opening in collaboration with these places.
Q: Work force development and the culinary school has been the focus of programs that would be offered here. What other programs will the school have?
A: "(In) talking to the citizens, they wanted more than just culinary (classes). They wanted to have that true sense of a campus. Certainly, culinary is one of our best (offerings) and a portal to how people come into Cincinnati State. We really have to start with some very basic courses. We'll start with some developmental courses. Middletown generates 500 graduates a year through a GED program. Those are some people we'll go after, and some of those people will need some developmental courses. The medical field is what people want. So, we'll look at nursing and maybe public safety."
Q: Is there a market for the people needed to fill jobs at the school?
A: "You certainly have a lot of great instructors from Middletown coming to Cincinnati teaching at some of the competition. Those would be people we go after first — people who have that experience, live in Middletown but are staffing other schools. We would have to look at what type of courses we would bring from our campus, what we would bring from adjuncts, what high school teachers could be used for certain classes."
Q: Is there too much competition for this college in Butler County?
A: "We probably compete against 31 other colleges, from Phoenix to Brown Mackie to the University of Cincinnati to Northern Kentucky University. We feel that we can offer enough unique programming. What I'm offering is a campus. We have a basketball team. We have a soccer team, golf team and gymnasium. We have a Frisbee course.
"We try to offer a certain segment of the students that college experience.
"Others simply say ‘I have to go to work and come to school and leave.’ We can accommodate that too."
Q: Why should students choose a two-year college?
A: "About 20 percent of our students will go on after leaving Cincinnati State. We now are seeing students coming from different high schools that in the past wouldn't send their students. I think families, because of this economy, recognize that you can go to Cincinnati State for two years, get a good education, and then transfer on to a four-year school.
" I think also when people get a taste of us, they realize there is quality here ... even if it isn’t an economic issue."
Q: Why Middletown and not Hamilton at this point?
A: "The Hamilton project was a project that was really supported by Chancellor (Eric) Fingerhut. His concept was, 'OK, I don't want duplication. And I want to house a place where the best of the best could be showcased.'
"His concept would have been that Hamilton could have Wright State, the University of Dayton and Cincinnati and maybe Sinclair and each would have a piece.
"For me, it (Hamilton) never generated the same type of excitement because I had Middletown offering me a whole campus.
"I can make that investment but at the end of the day I’m charged with trying to make Cincinnati State the best it can be. Part of that is to have a brand and to sell that brand. Middletown offered a much better opportunity to showcase my brand.
"Now, that project may change. We joined the chamber of commerce in Hamilton, I gave a talk to the chamber. We’re doing enrollment at the high school. We certainly want to be involved."
Q: Where do things with Hamilton stand?
A: "It's in the planning. What they decided to do was hire an outside consultant. Butler Tech, the city of Hamilton and Cincinnati State agreed to put a little money in the kitty to hire someone who could then sort of layout a program ... what they really want to offer."
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or asedlak@coxohio.com.
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